It was devastating.

She said, “I thought if other people heard it or if they knew about my early story, then they would see me as less able to do the job that I was doing. Somehow scared, less desirable to hire.”

A set of feelings that were difficult to escape.

So, she hid it for as long as possible.

Until one day a breaking news story developed.

She said, “I was on the news desk, reading this story coming down on the prompter about a homicide that had happened… The suspect was the adopted son of this couple… It said ‘the adopted son’ over and over again.”

A story that made Michelle realize that we cannot run from the truth of who we are.A story that helped her embrace her adoption as a strength, not a weakness.A story that helped Michelle define her purpose in life, to ensure that the adoption community is heard, seen, valued, respected, and understood.